Category: Living

A Beginner’s Guide to Joining a Community

A Beginner’s Guide to Joining a Community

Doing Judaism online or alone is hard. There is no replacing being a part of a community. Here's a guide to joining a community step ...
How Leonard Cohen “Made Me Jewish”

How Leonard Cohen “Made Me Jewish” 

How did Leonard Cohen make me Jewish? In part, I learned to believe in myself. And that was only the first step in a longer ...
The Eight Steps to Learn to Lead a Prayer Service

The Eight Steps to Learn to Lead a Prayer Service

Interested in leading services for your community? This guide will help you, step by step, take on this amazing communal role.
It is a Boy! How Do We Prepare for his Brit Milah

It is a Boy! How Do We Prepare for his Brit Milah?

You've had a boy and its time for a Brit Milah (or Bris). What do you do? Who do you call? What questions do you ...
What is feminist Torah and how do we do it?

What is feminist Torah and how do we do it?

Feminist Torah is an approach to how we relate to Torah and a set of commitments about which Torah to draw from in our teaching ...
What to expect when going to a B-Mitzvah?

What to expect when going to a B-Mitzvah?

A B-Mitzvah is the Jewish celebration and ritual of coming of age, and it is celebrated at about the age of 13. Here's what you ...
Ketubah: The Contract of Your Life

Ketubah: The Contract of Your Life

Ketubah might be the most important contract of all. The document that guards the most important treasure in the world - our marriage.
What do I wear to a Shabbat service?

What do I wear to a Shabbat service?

Simply, something appropriate for a religious service. But, getting to know the community will help you understand what feels right.
How to Get the Get (A Jewish Divorce) and Why It Matters

How to Get the Get (A Jewish Divorce) and Why It Matters

The Get or “decree of divorce,” plays a fundamental role in the Jewish life cycle of a couple whose marriage has come to an end ...
How should I eat on Yom Kippur if I cannot fast?

How should I eat on Yom Kippur if I cannot fast?

What should I do if I need to eat on Yom Kippur? How can I honor the spirit of the day while providing my body ...
A Social Justice Harachaman

A Social Justice HaRachaman

God wants us to act and open our hearts. This prayer reminds us that when we do justice work, we are doing G!d’s work.
תכלה שנה וקללותיה – תחל שנה וברכותיה

תכלה שנה וקללותיה – תחל שנה וברכותיה

ובאמת, לצד האסונות שידענו לאורך אלפי שנות קיומנו, ידענו גם לקום, להתאחד ולהתחזק מתוך השבר. וכך יהיה גם הפעם.
End the Year and Its Curses – Begin the Year with Its Blessings

End the Year and Its Curses – Begin the Year with Its Blessings

Despite the disasters we have faced, we have known how to rise, unite, and grow stronger from the fractures.
CARING FOR CREATION PRAYER

Caring For Creation Prayer

A short prayer, inspired by and quoting the Prophet Isaiah, connecting us to nature, the environment, and all of creation.
Promoting Isaiah On Yom Kippur

Promoting Isaiah On Yom Kippur

Engaging with Operation Isaiah is a demand to eliminate the scourge of hunger. May we see the day when healthy food is available to all.
The Shofar Is Calling Us Toward Queer Reconciliation: A Kavvanah

The Shofar Is Calling Us Toward Queer Reconciliation: A Kavvanah

The shofar's call urges us to examine our own biases and privileges, to stand in solidarity and to advocate for change.

Redemption Of Captives And Freeing Hostages: An Ethical Imperative

While Jewish law contains many opinions, the moral imperative is clear: every effort should be made to negotiate the release of hostages without delay.
Reflections on Death (1973)

Reflections on Death (1973)

Heschel writes in 1973 in "Reflections on Death": Life here and now is the task. Every moment can be an achievement.
Introduction to the Kaddish: For Those who Died in the Israeli War (1957)

Introduction to the Kaddish: For Those who Died in the Israeli War (1957)

Written by S.Y. Agnon in the Conservative Judaism Journal for those who died in the War of 1948, these words are especially fitting today.
A Yizkor for the Victims of October 7th

A Yizkor for the Victims of October 7th

May God remember all the women, men, and children of Israel who were brutally murdered on the 7th of October.
Yizkor for the Victims of October 7th

Yizkor for the Victims of October 7th

This Yizkor, for the victims of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, attempts to capture the personal details of the people killed on this ...
כיצד ראוי לחגוג את שמחת תורה בשנת תשפ״ה?

?כיצד ראוי לחגוג את שמחת תורה בשנת תשפ״ה

חווינו אחד מן האסונות הגדולים ביותר בתולדות המדינה, ומאז, כיצד ראוי לחגוג את שמחת תורה בשנת תשפ״ה?
How to Appropriately Celebrate Simchat Torah in 5785

How to Appropriately Celebrate Simchat Torah in 5785

With the ongoing tragedy of October 7th and the ongoing hostage situation and war, how do we appropriately celebrate Simchat Torah in 5785?
כוונה לכניסת שמחת תורה תשפ”ה

כוונה לכניסת שמחת תורה תשפ”ה

דקות לפני כניסת החג, מתכנסים בבית הכנסת, לוקחים כלי חרס שביר ביד ואומרים האלה.
Intention for Simchat Torah 5785

Intention for Simchat Torah 5785

A ritual and intention before the start of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah this year in 2024/5785 based on a Talmudic story.
In Need of a Divine Hug: The Embrace of the Sukkah

In Need of a Divine Hug: The Embrace of the Sukkah

This year, we should learn to experience the embrace of Sukkot by embracing one another, knowing that God is reaching out to embrace us, too.
Welcoming Special Ushpizin for Sukkot This Year (5785)

Welcoming Special Ushpizin for Sukkot This Year (5785)

This year, as we feel as fragile as the Sukkah itself, we offer a framework for Sukkot and Ushpizin – our Exalted Sanctified Guests. 
Sovereign of All the Earth: The Meaning of the Malkhuyot

Sovereign of All the Earth: The Meaning of the Malkhuyot

Acknowledging God’s sovereignty marks our responsibility toward all of life, through which the one creative, life-sustaining spirit flows.
A New Year Filled With Hope

A New Year Filled With Hope

Tradition reminds me that even if I don't feel hope now, it's still here. Maybe it isn't present right now, maybe we will find it.
שנה חדשה מלאה תקוה

שנה חדשה מלאה תקוה

המסורת מזכירה לי שאפילו שאני לא מרגישה את התקווה עכשיו - היא איפשהו כאן. ואולי היא נוכחת כרגע, אולי נמצא אותה.
Holding Both Joy and Sorrow

Holding Both Joy and Sorrow

Our hearts are big enough to hold all the emotions we feel during this holiday season, as we pray, eat, and observe the holidays together.
The power of memory making

The Power of Memory-Making

Memory-making, the way we tell ourselves our story, the way we frame our history, offers the opportunity to give us power and, ultimately, hope.
How To Get Religious Accommodations At Work

How To Get Religious Accommodations At Work

Want to know your rights as a Jew in the workplace? Need religious accommodations? Find out what your rights are and how to exercise them.

Why We Study Mishnah To Grieve Someone Who Has Died

There is a custom of learning and reciting chapters of Mishnah as part of the mourning process. Where does this come from? How does this ...
List of Mishnah Chapters by Hebrew letter

List of Mishnah Chapters by First Letter

One mourning practice is to use the first letters of chapters of Mishnah to spell out the name of the deceased. Here is a list ...
Blessings Over Food and Drink

Blessings Over Food and Drink

There are many blessings over food and drink. Learn how to determine what blessing to use before and after eating a meal.
Are Non-Kosher Animals Permitted for Organ Transplants?

Are Non-Kosher Animals Permitted for Organ Transplants?

Are non-kosher animals permitted for organ transplants? Rabbi Shai Cherry explains the recent teshuvah from the CJLS.
The Jewish Status of a Child Born Using a Gestational Carrier

The Jewish Status of a Child Born Using a Gestational Carrier

In a recent teshuvah, the CJLS answers the question, "what is the Jewish status of a child born using a gestational carrier?"
When Can a Jewish Wedding Happen?

When Can a Jewish Wedding Happen?

There are times when a Jewish wedding can happen and times when weddings cannot, either according to laws or customs.
Marriage As Mitzvah

Marriage As Mitzvah

Jews see marriage as mitzvah based on biblical and rabbinic texts. Marriage is seen as important for spirituality and closeness with God.
Mourning a Miscarriage

Mourning a Miscarriage

While there are no specific rituals for mourning a miscarriage, there are practices and rituals to use in that time that can help healing.
Shabbat for Jewish Pets and Their Owners

Shabbat for Jewish Pets and Their Owners

Here are a few tips to celebrate Shabbat for Jewish pets and their owners and how to enhance your family's Shabbat experience.
Celebrating Shavu’ot with Seven Species Cookies

Celebrating Shavu’ot with Seven Species Cookies

What better way to celebrate Shavu’ot than by making a delicious treat from these seven species?

Shavuot 5784: Tiny Tikkun

Shavuot is often considered a holiday of converts. Our Tiny Tikkun collects some texts on conversion to study with a friend or on your own.
Temple Envy

Temple Envy

This an exploration of my "temple envy" through the emotions of grief, wonder, and desire for Jewish unity during a recent vacation to Nikko.
I fought in Jerusalem in 1967: A Yom Yerushalayim Reflection

I fought in Jerusalem in 1967: A Yom Yerushalayim Reflection

Fifty-seven years have passed since my company fought in the streets and alleys of Jerusalem, yet I remember it as if it happened yesterday.
We Have a Responsibility to the Earth

We Have a Responsibility to the Earth

Some interpret Creation as an allowance to plunder the Earth. However, that is a misconception; we have a responsibility to the Earth.

Ten Torah Resources You Should Know

Here are our top ten Torah resources you should know, including Conservative/Masorti organizations and resources for kids and families!
Gathering Our People: Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzma’ut

Gathering Our People: Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzma’ut

While I express my love for Jewish tradition, I am also holding the Jewish people in my hands and giving them a kiss as well.

A Yom HaZikaron like no other… God-willing

Yom HaZikaron is different this year. Our troops are still falling and getting wounded. The sense of loss and mourning is not theoretical.
Through My Children’s Eyes: Yom HaAtzmaut & Yom HaZikaron

Through My Children’s Eyes: Yom HaAtzmaut & Yom HaZikaron

Rabbi Rackover reflects on Yom HaZikkaron and Yom HaAtzmaut: For the first time, my daughter was afraid to share her Jewish identity. My heart broke.
Spheres of Sustainability: Malkhut and Sovereignty

Spheres of Sustainability: Malkhut and Sovereignty

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at malkhut, sovereignty, as we stand at the threshold between earth and heaven.
Spheres of Sustainability: Yesod and Foundation

Spheres of Sustainability: Yesod and Foundation

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at yesod, foundation. Learn about the space between physical and spiritual worlds.
Spheres of Sustainability: Hod and Thanks

Spheres of Sustainability: Hod and Thanks

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at hod, thanks. It is seen in the inner beauty and splendor of physical beings. 
Spheres of Sustainability: Netzach and Eternity

Spheres of Sustainability: Netzach and Eternity

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at netzach, eternity. Learn about using this sefirah when thinking about endurance
Spheres of Sustainability: Tif'eret and Beauty

Spheres of Sustainability: Tif’eret and Beauty

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at tif'eret, beauty. Tif'eret brings us into balance with everyday blessings.
A SEAT FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T COME HOME

A Seat For Those Who Can’t Come Home

This year, as we prepare the seder, we encourage an extra setting at your table—an empty chair for our family still in captivity in Gaza.
Spheres of Sustainability: Strength and Gevurah

Spheres of Sustainability: Gevurah and Strength

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at gevurah, strength. Learn about using this gevurah when we face challenges.
Spheres of Sustainability: Chesed and Goodness

Spheres of Sustainability: Chesed and Goodness

For this week of the Omer's sphere of sustainability, look at chesed, goodness. This week, stand in awe before God's world.
Spheres of Sustainability: Making the Omer Count

Spheres of Sustainability: Making the Omer Count

By looking at the spheres of sustainability, we are making the Omer count. Explore the connections between the Omer and caring for the Earth.
Days of the Omer Playlist

Exploring Judaism’s Omer Playlist

Exploring Judaism's Omer playlist is meant to accompany you throughout the seven weeks leading up to Shavuot: Bring a bit more music to life!
On Passover, We Are All Jews-By-Choice

On Passover, We Are All Jews-By-Choice

On Passover, we are all Jews-by-Choice when we choose to remember what it is that brings us together for the holiday.
How to Incorporate Kitniyot into Your Passover

How to Incorporate Kitniyot into Your Passover

Though the Conservative Movement has allowed eating kitniyot on Passover, many still do not. How can we incorporate kitniyot this year?
How Mourning Changes You

How Mourning Changes You

Pulling on a conversation between Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper about mourning, learn about how mourning can change you.
Confessions of a Fussy Kiddush Nosher

Confessions of a Fussy Kiddush Nosher

Though Kiddush in synagogue is a great for connecting with community, food options can be challenging and a limiting factor for picky eaters.
Why I Change the Melodies: Exploring Keva and Kavanah

Why I Change the Melodies: Exploring Keva and Kavanah

By occasionally changing melodies, we draw from both Keva and Kavanah and invite ourselves into a deeper connection with our prayers.
Why Tu b'Shvat Needs to be More Than a Birthday for Trees

Why Tu b’Shvat Needs to be More Than a Birthday for Trees

Rabbi Jonathan Bernhard encourages us to recommit to caring for our world and to see Tu b’Shvat as more than the “birthday for the trees.
Understanding the Jewish Call to Sustainability

Understanding The Jewish Call To Sustainability

Understanding the Jewish call to sustainability is rooted in a new category of mitzvot: bein adam l'adamah, between the self and the Earth.
The Mitzvah of Environmental Sustainability

The Mitzvah of Environmental Sustainability

What does Judaism say about environmental sustainability? Yishuv Ha'olam is the mitzvah to build and maintain a sustainable world.
Being a Conservative Jew in Jerusalem

A Conservative Jew in Jerusalem

What is it like being a Conservative Jew in Jerusalem and how do we understand the holiness of the holiest place in the world?
This is the Bread of Affliction

This is the Bread of Affliction

This is the bread of affliction: Matzah adorns our Seder plates and nourishes our souls, as well—this food is fulfilling.
What is a Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, B-Mitzvah?

What is a Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, B-Mitzvah?

The B-Mitzvah is a transitional moment when one becomes responsible to the mitzvot, Traditionally celebrated with an aliyah to the Torah.
The Art of Assimilating Wisely

The Art of Assimilating Wisely

Hanukkah—when we read about the Maccabees resisting assimilation and Joseph embracing it—is a time to look at the art of assimilation wisely.
What does Judaism say about abortion

What does Judaism say about Abortion?

An overview of what Judaism says about abortion based on the decisions and analysis of the Rabbinical Assembly.
My Good Mensches, We Are Modern Maccabees

My Good Mensches, We Are Modern Maccabees

We are the Maccabees of our modern time and we have the responsibility to keep the Ner Tamid lit for another generation.
Jewish Pride Guides My Actions

Jewish Pride Guides My Actions

From a love of Judaism and Jewish history, my Jewish pride guides my actions, both public and private, and defines my sense of self.
Psalms for this Time of Crisis in Israel

Psalms for this Time of Crisis in Israel

Seven psalms as a liturgical response to our individual and collective emotions, including grief, fear, rage, desperation, and others.

Hearts Broken But We Will Keep Living

Amidst the heartbreak over the war in Gaza, appreciating our lives and feeling joy is an act of resistance and affirmation of life.

Prayer for Israel

Rabbis Nicole Guzik and Erez Sherman offer a prayer for Israel. This was first offered at a vigil on October 8th, 2023.
Prayer for kidnapped israelis

Prayer for Kidnapped Israelis

A prayer for kidnapped Israelis by Hamas and are being held in Gaza.
Prayer for Simchat Torah War

Prayer for Simchat Torah War

Prayer for Simchat Torah War by The Rabbinical Assembly of Israel and Masorti Israel.
Prayer for the Welfare and Return of Israel’s Captured and Missing

Prayer for the Welfare and Return of Israel’s Captured and Missing

Prayer for the Welfare and Return of Israel's Captured and Missing by the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel and Masorti Israel
Talking to Kids About Israel (October 2023)

Talking to Kids About Israel (October 2023)

Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal offers some wisdom on how to talk to children of all ages about what is happening in Israel in an appropriate way.
Violence in Israel: Self-Care and Mental Health

Violence in Israel: Self-Care and Mental Health

The bombing at Hebrew University was a transition moment in my life. I got by for about a month and then started to break down. ...

Exploring Judaism and the Crisis in Israel

October 9th, 2023 In the two years since we launched, Exploring Judaism has significantly impacted the Conservative/Masorti presence on the internet. We have worked to ...
Remembering Our Loved Ones Before Us

Remembering Our Loved Ones Before Us

When our loved ones die, who remembers those they remembered? Here's a way to remember all of those that came before us.
Mourning: A Rabbi's Own Perspective

Mourning: A Rabbi’s Own Perspective

A rabbi, familiar with leading others through the process of mourning, goes through the same. Rabbi David Baum remembers his mother.
Deja Jew, or, Asking the Question Yet Again: Why Be Jewish?

Deja Jew, or, Asking the Question Yet Again: Why Be Jewish?

Dig deeper into Jewish identity, memory, spirituality, and wisdom, exploring more into the question: "Why Be Jewish?"
Tu B'av: A Day For Joyous Love

Tu B’av: A Day For Joyous Love

Tu B'av, a minor summer holiday following Tisha B'av commemorates joyous events in Jewish history and celebrates love.

The Torah of the Summer Barbecue

Summer barbecues are great for relaxation and rejuvenation, and an opportunity to extend and receive hospitality like Abraham and Sarah.
Fatherhood as a Jewish Stay-at-Home Dad

Fatherhood as a Jewish Stay-at-Home Dad

Fatherhood has been a journey of obligation, an exploration of identity, and an opportunity to experience life through my child's eyes.

Re-writing the Wedding Ceremony: A Jewish LGBTQ+ Tradition 

"We were learning what being married Jewishly means and what's important to us as a couple, then inscribing that into the wedding ceremony."
What do I do if I can't go to minyan when saying kaddish?

What do I do if I can’t go to minyan when saying kaddish?

Saying Kaddish for a loved one is a cherished and prized custom, but it is not the only way to remember and honor the lives ...
How to Travel Jewishly

How to Travel Jewishly

How can you travel in a Jewish way? Emily Jaeger offers five solid ways that you might want to consider when you're traveling the world.
We Reclaimed Two Jewish Wedding Customs and You Can Too

We Reclaimed Two Jewish Wedding Customs and You Can Too

There are many Jewish wedding customs out there, finding the right ones for you can help you explore the more subtle emotions of the event. ...
Planning my Queer Halakhic Jewish Wedding

Planning my Queer Halakhic Jewish Wedding

Making the choices for our queer wedding ceremony including the ceremony, ketubah, sheva berachot, circling, and breaking the glass.

What Does the Month of Iyar Have to Do with Healing?

Iyar and healing refer not just to a named ailment, but overall wellness and health both internally and externally.
What is Healthy Jewish Pride?

What is Healthy Jewish Pride?

What is healthy Jewish pride? While exploring the past, present, and future of Chanukah, Rabbi Bernat-Kunin proposes a new home ritual.

Fasting While Ill

It is considered forbidden to fast on fast days if injurious to one’s health, for the sake of performing positive commandments.